The Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium

Transcription

1 The Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium Patrick G. Hatcher Executive Director Batten Chair in Physical Sciences Old Dominion University

2 Mission and Specific Strategies Mission: The mission of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research (Working Group) is to identify and develop new coastal energy resources through multidisciplinary research collaborations and environmentally responsible strategies. Strategies: Conduct research in areas consistent with a diversified portfolio of energy sources in coastal areas and offshore Initial focus: 1. Offshore wind energy 2. Coastal Biomass for Biodiesel Production

3 VCERC Created by 2006 General Assembly to Bring Together Universities, State Agencies, and Industry Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium Mechanical, electrical, materials, civil, and ocean engineering Washington, DC area presence Physical, chemical, & geological ocean sciences Biological ocean sciences Wind energy engineering Renewable energy curriculum development High-tech workforce training Entrepreneurship development Non-University VCERC Board Integration of marine renewables into Virginia Energy Plan Ensuring compatibility with other marine uses and coastal resources Identification of manufacturing job creation opportunities and industry benefits of long-term, price-stable energy supply Identification of waterfront development opportunities

4 Three Additional Universities and Two New Industry Representatives Added in 2007 Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium Non-University VCERC Board Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences expertise on natural algal blooms Integration of GIS tool into Coastal GEMS Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Project Interface with local high-tech industry, including advanced manufacturing, sensors, and control systems Chemical Engineering Department -- fuels testing and characterization Research and development of alternative marine biofuels and bioproducts Virginia Clean Cities and the Hampton Roads Clean Cities Coalition identify regional transportation needs and opportunities for fuels from algae and integration of offshore wind with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

5 Three Initial VCERC Projects Focus on Offshore Wind 1. Feasibility-level level design and economic assessment for a hypothetical reference baseline offshore wind power project 2. Preliminary mapping of offshore areas suitable for offshore wind power development, with identification of military training areas, shipping lanes, commercial fishing grounds, and marine and avian habitats 3. Evaluation of economic development potential of commercial offshore wind power development and associated workforce training needs, and planning for an ocean test bed 4. Feasibility-level level design and economic assessment for an algae-to to-biodiesel culture and processing system

6 Converting algae to biodiesel

7 Biomass from Algae for the production of biodiesel Estimated cost: $1.40 to $4.40/gal Or $60 to $100 per barrel of oil equivalent 7.5 billion gallons of biodiesel per year requires 500,000 acres of water At $1/gal profit, the annual return would be $7.5 billion

8 Why is it attractive? 1. Algae are the original source of petroleum Cells during Growth 4-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Cell Walls 2. If we simulate petroleum formation by pyrolysis, we produce hydrocarbons intensity 12:1 18:1 32:1 Pyrolysis/GC/MS chromatogram of algae 3. that resemble petroleum

9 Why Is It Attractive? 1. Algae outperforms all other plant-based sources of alternative fuels Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year Corn 15 Soybeans 48 Safflower 83 Sunflower 102 Jatropha 175 Rapeseed 127 Oil Palm 635 Microalgae* 1,850 Microalgae** 5,000 15,000 % of Agricultural Land Required to Fuel US Transportation CORN 1,700 % SOYBEANS 650 % CANOLA 240 % JATROPHA 154 % COCONUT 108 % OIL PALM 50 % MICROALGAE 2 5 % 2. Does not require agricultural land, competing with farm crops * Actual biomass yields ** Theoretical biomass yields

10 Oil Content of Some Microalgae Microalga Botryococcus braunii Chlorella sp. Crypthecodinium cohnii Cylindrotheca sp. Dunaliella primolecta Isochrysis sp. Monallanthus salina Nannochloris sp. Nannochloropsis sp. Neochloris oleoabundans Nitzschia sp. Phaeodactylum tricornutum Schizochytrium sp. Tetraselmis sueica Oil Content (% dry wt) > From : Chisti, Y Biodiesel from microalgae. Biotechnology Advances

11 Why is it attractive? 3. Algal production and ensuing biodiesel can be coupled with numerous industrial processes a. Electric power generation to reduce CO 2 emissionscarbon credits (algae need CO 2 as a carbon source to grow) b. Agricultural and municipal wastewater runoff to clean up nutrient-laden effluents (algae require the nutrients such as ammonia, phosphates, and nitrates for growth) c. Clean-up of algae from eutrofied waterways-can pump and filter algae for use as a feedstock for biodiesel

12 How It Works. Grow the Algae Extract the biomass

13 How It Works. Extract the biomass Extract the lipids = bio-crude oil

14 How It Works. Refine into bio-diesel and other products

15 What we (ODU, VCERC) are currently focusing on

16 The ODU strategy: production of algal biomass for conversion to biodiesel Algae production coupled to wastewater Incoming waste byproducts and effluent Alternate flow to settling tank Incoming 2 o sewage Return flow or tertiary treated water Return of CO 2 and products to bio-reactor Bottom drains with valve for draining tanks Shut off valves to isolate or divert flows Harvest membrane Biofuel Chemo-Reactor Residual products from pyrolysis and combustion of biosolids

17 Test Facility: Virginia Initiative Plant Hampton Roads Sanitation District

18 Pilot-Scale Reactors at VIP Biomass production rate Nutrient uptake Balance gas transfer (CO 2 input O 2 stripping) Instrumentation and controls Separation/dewatering Concurrent laboratory culturing ongoing using VIP effluent

19 Accomplishments: 1. Pilot-scale facility near Hopewell, VA- stand alone 2. Build a similar facility at VIP plant- wastewater

20 Stand-alone alone pilot-scale facility Anticipated production: 3000 gallons biodiesel/yr/acre 9,000,000 kg biomass/yr/acre

21 Harvesting the algae Continuous flow centrifuge and other approaches Algae paste

22 Batch-Mode Converter: for conversion of algal biomass to biodiesel-filed provisional patent Algal Biomass from Bio-Reactor Carrier Gas (e.g., Helium; Nitrogen; Hydrogen) Condenser Thermo- Reactor Solid Residue Bio- Diesel Volatile LMW Waste products, including CO 2 which is returned to Bio-Reactor Seed funds from ODURF ($50,000 in FY08) were used to develop proof of concept chemoreactor

23 Second generation flow-through converter Fluidized bed converter being constructed from monies provided by ODURF and VCERC USDA, facility- being used for switchgrass conversion to bio-oil Boteng et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2007

24 Biodiesel Production from Microalgae Table. Biodiesel production from different algae strains with a benchtop converter: Type Species Oil-like yield Protist (brown tide algae) CCMP % Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum 3% Coccolithophorid Pleurochrysis carterae 7% Green algae Dunaliella spp. 4% Green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa 12% Green algae Botryococcus braunii 37% Our preliminary results demonstrate that Botryococcus braunii, a green algae strain from fresh water, produces the highest diesel yield using our converter Botryococcus braunii Time (s)

25 algae sample from Lake James, dominated by diatoms; soybean biodiesel is from a commercial biodiesel company; Results: algae biodiesel is very similar chemically to commercial biodiesel However, the procedure is tedious and time consuming. A better and faster method is needed. Quality of algae biodiesel Algal biodiesel Soybean biodiesel GC-TOF-MS analytical ion chromatograms

26 Table 1. Oil contents (NMR) of algae collected from aquatic environment around Norfolk Sample# Location Dominant Species Oil content 6 Lake Smith 7 Lake Maury 9 Lake Whitehurst (west) 10 Lake Whitehurst (south) Cyanobacteria 22.4% Cyanobacteria 23.1% Cyanobacteria 23.9% Cyanobacteria 21.1% 11 Elizabeth River (ODU Sailing center) Dinoflagellate diatom 42.1% 12 OAES pond 24 Lake Kempsville 27 Lake Christopher 31 Elmwood Retention pond Cyanobacteria 13.3% Cyanobacteria 22.1% Chlorophyte 20.0% Cyanobacteria 23.9% VIP ODU sewage treatment plant Chlorophyte 31.2% Big Blue ODU Greenhouse Chlorophyte 24.0%

27 Does the algal biodiesel work?

28 Current Activities Constructing pilot-scale algal farms 1. Collaborative with HRSD VIP plant near campus- Tank farm 2. Collaborative with algal farmer in Hopewell, VA area 3. Collaborative with Hopewell, VA wastewater facility High throughput, second-generation chemoreactor under construction Designing of harvesting technology (preparing IP disclosure) Collaborating with Acent via SBIR

29 Possible Commercial Ventures 1. Algal biodiesel production for wastewater industry- $40 million/yr profit Florida Businessman- Donn Dresselhuys 2. Algal farming in stand-alone facilities- $20 million/yr profit-1000 acres 1. Algal Farms, Inc. 2. Cherokee Biofuels, LLC 3. Kegotank Biofuels 3. Algal farming/large-scale for production of biofuels 1. Use of Navy OLF site (20,000 acres)- $50 million/yr profit 2. In association with Danville/Southside wastewater facilities 4. Algal farming associated with Powerplants for CO 2 sequestration and fuels 5. Biodiesel production from algal/other feedstocks

30 Acknowledgements ODU team Dr. Margaret Mulholland, Assoc. Prof. Oceanography Dr. Andrew Gordon, Prof. Biological Sciences Dr. Harold Marshall, Emeritus Prof. Biological Sciences Dr. Han Bao, Prof. Mechanical Engineering Dr. Gary Schafran, Prof. and Chair Civil & Environ. Engineering Dr. Aron Stubbins, Research Assist. Prof., Chemistry & Biochemistry Dr. Zhanfei Liu, Postdoc, Chemistry & Biochemistry Dr. Elodie Salmon, Postdoc, Chemistry & Biochemistry Dr. Chris Burbage, Postdoc, Oceanography Richard Hubbard, Senior Technician Adair Johnson, Technician, Chemistry & Biochemistry VIMS team Dr. Elizabeth Canuel, Prof. Marine Science Dr. Deborah Bronk, Prof. Marine Science JMU team Dr. Christopher Bachmann, Assist. Prof. Integrated Science & Technol. UVA team Dr. Robert Davis, Prof. and Chair, Chemical Engineering HU team Dr. Ates Akyurthu, Prof. and Chair, Chemical Engineering Dr. Jale F. Akyurthu, Prof. of Chemical Engineering